by J. L. Drake
“I’ll be right back, baby.” I kissed Emily on the forehead. Her eyes were squeezed shut. I followed Nurse Jean out into the hallway.
“I’ll have to call the police and report this,” she said, her voice no longer quite so friendly.
I sighed. “I’m a cop with the OPD, and my partner is out in the waiting room. I’m sure he’s already called it in.”
She looked relieved. “Oh, okay. Good.”
“Seth!” Garrett said, running up to them. “Is she okay?”
“The doctor is coming in to see if she needs X-rays, but all in all, she’s all right,” the nurse said. “As far as her mental and emotional condition, only time will tell.”
“Yeah,” Garrett said, looking at Emily through the door window. “I filled out her paperwork, so we should be able to leave whenever we’re done here.”
“Thanks,” I said, feeling so many strong emotions.
“If you need anything, I’ll be over there,” the nurse said, pointing to the front desk.
“You okay?” Garrett asked, eyeing my face when we were alone.
“No.”
“I’ll call it in. Campbell and Riggs will come by the house tomorrow. I’m guessing she’s not saying anything yet?”
“No.”
“Okay, well, I’ll give you guys a few minutes. I’ll be in the waiting room making those calls.”
“Thanks.”
I took a moment, trying to collect myself as I opened the door. Emily was scrunched up in a tiny ball with the blanket pulled up to her chin. She stared blankly at the wall. My heart was heavy with pain and anger as I ran my hand through my hair. I pulled up a chair next to her.
“Can I get you anything?” I whispered. She didn’t move. I reached over and gently touched her hand. She pulled it to her cheek and let out a shaky sigh. “Oh, baby.” I choked back tears. I just wanted to take the pain away.
I couldn’t stand her being so frightened. She normally had such a loving, strong personality, but right now she looked broken. “Can you tell me anything? Please, just something. Garrett called in the attack, we—they—have questions you need to answer, sooner rather than later. It’s—”
Her eyes shifted from the wall to meet mine. “I c-can’t, he’ll know,” she whispered. She tucked her head down into my hand, sobbing.
My rage burned through my veins. This piece of shit had the balls to not only touch her, but to have words with her as well! I took a moment. The last thing she needed was to see me lose it. Then I leaned in so she could hear me.
“He...spoke...to...you?” Each word came out controlled, but inside I was anything but. “What did this piece of shit say, exactly?”
She looked up at me with bloodshot eyes. “He-he said he’d kill me if I said anything, h-he knew my-my name.”
I jumped to my feet as her words sank in. “He knew your name!” I rubbed my face violently. “Jesus Christ!” I looked down at her and felt her slowly slipping away again. I dropped back into my seat. “Em, stay with me.” I grabbed her cold hands. God, she was freezing. “Can you tell me anything about this guy? Hair color, eye color, accent, anything?”
Suddenly, the door opened and a tall man in a long, white coat came in holding an iPad. “Good evening. I’m Doctor Alex.” He looked at Emily, who was trying to control her sobs. “I see it hasn’t been a good evening for you.” He squinted as he took in her face. “Well, before we even get started, why don’t we get you something for the pain and to help calm those nerves?” He started tapping away on the iPad. A moment later, Nurse Jean came in with a needle.
“Okay, Emily, this is for the pain, and I need to inject it into your hip.” She gently pulled back the fleece blanket, rubbed an alcohol pad over her thigh, and pricked her. From the look on her face, Emily barely registered it.
The doctor examined her carefully. Thankfully, it seemed she only had bruised ribs, and he didn’t feel she needed a CT scan. I wasn’t entirely sure I agreed with that decision, but I kept my mouth shut for Emily’s sake.
The doctor also went over a bunch of paperwork, mostly what to do if she had certain symptoms, and suggested a counselor. He wrote a name on a piece of paper and handed it to me. He also gave me a prescription for pain meds that she was to take as needed.
Finally finished, he looked up and said, “She’s a lucky girl. She’ll heal fine and won’t have any scars, at least on the outside.” He glanced at Emily, who was now sleeping. “But she’ll need lots of rest, and someone should be with her for the next couple of days. Watch that lump on her head. The paperwork will tell you what to look for. I’ll get the nurse back in here so she can be discharged. I hope she feels better soon, but if anything changes, you bring her right back in, okay?”
“Of course. Thanks, Doctor,” I said, shaking his hand. Just as the doctor was leaving, Garrett came in holding two cafeteria coffees. He made a face. “These were all I could find without leaving.”
“That’s great, thanks.” I sipped the hot coffee, trying to let the events from the night sink in. I filled Garrett in on what the doctor had said and then fell silent. After a few minutes of hearing the annoying tick of the clock above us, I rubbed my face roughly. “He spoke to her.”
“What?”
“Yeah, he said if she told anyone, he’d kill her. The asshole even knew her name.” Even repeating her words made me feel ill.
“Do you think it’s someone she knows?”
I leaned back in my chair. “I don’t think so, but I promise when we find this guy, he won’t be able to say her name again.”
Several hours later, Emily finally got word she could go home. The entire drive I had my arms locked around her. Her hands still shook but at least her sobs had calmed down.
I lifted Emily out of the car. She was passed out cold from the pain medication. Garrett opened the door and flicked on the living room light. “You should stay in the guest room.” I pointed my head up the stairs. “Who knows if he followed her home? An extra set of eyes would be good.”
“Yeah, I was planning on it,” Garrett said. Setting the security alarm, he followed me upstairs and turned on Emily’s desk lamp. “I called Erin. She’s going to stay with her until we get off work tomorrow. She was pretty shaken up by the whole thing and was happy to help.”
“Good,” I agreed, pulling the covers over Emily. She looked so small in the oversized sweat pants and t-shirt the hospital had given her to wear home. They had kept her clothes for evidence.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” Garrett said, leaving the room. He looked just as I felt.
I kicked off my shoes and tossed my phone on her night table. I pulled up her big, plush chair, plopped down, and rested my feet on the bed. I watched her as she drifted into a deeper sleep. I leaned forward, turning off the light, and folded my arms over my chest. After a few moments, I gave in to my exhausted body and dozed off.
***
Emily
I could feel his breath on me. I felt his hand run up my leg. “You shouldn’t anger me like this, Emily,” he hissed. I flinched at his smell as my stomach turned over. “Shhhhhh.”
My eyes popped open. I was breathing hard. Then the pain came flooding back. “Ouch!” I moaned, holding my side. I looked around. I was home, and it was morning, but I didn’t feel like I’d slept at all. I dragged myself up out of bed, pulling on some clean clothes, and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.
Oh Lord...I moved closer, getting a better look. I had a large goose egg over my left eye, my right cheek was slightly swollen with a black-and-blue bruise, and my lip was spilt open. At least I could cover most of it up with make-up. However, my ribs were a different story. You could see his two boot marks perfectly colored in by bruising. What a friggin’ nightmare this was.
As I came downstairs, I heard voices. I took a deep breath and pushed the kitchen door open, not sure if I was ready to face this yet. Seth and Erin were talking at the table, and Garrett was making breakfast. Both the guys were dressed for work. When E
rin saw me, her hand went flying to her mouth. Seth quickly stood up and walked over to me.
“How are you feeling?”
“Sore. Thanks for last night.” I cleared my throat, glancing at Garrett. “For…for taking me to the hospital, I mean.”
Seth nodded. “Of course.”
I went over to the counter and reached for a mug in the cabinet. Pain flared through me at the movement, and my hand shot to my ribs. Garrett leaned over and got one down for me, smiling sympathetically. I poured some coffee and sat down at the table. Garrett sat a plate full of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of me. I forced a smile at him, but the thought of food made my stomach turn. I moved my plate over a bit and sipped my coffee. The hot liquid made my lip burn, but I hid the discomfort.
“What did this Jacob guy look like?” Seth asked Erin, returning to his chair at the table and pulling out his note pad.
“Umm.” She eyed me for a second, not sure if she should answer. “He was as tall as me, black hair…it peeked out from under his black ball hat. He had a barbell tattoo on his left arm with the number 33 over it, umm…?”
I traced my fingers over my cup’s rim. “It wasn’t Jacob,” I interrupted. The three of them looked at me.
“Are you sure, Em?” Erin asked.
I nodded. “It wasn’t Jacob.” I stared at the table.
“Where did this happen?” Erin asked. My fingers started to tremble, so I slid them under the table. We were all silent for a little bit until Garrett checked the time.
“We need to go,” he said, looking at Seth apologetically. I got up slowly, trying to mask the sharp ache in my ribs. I went into the living room and sat on the couch. I heard Seth telling Erin he’d check in on us and to call if we needed anything.
He came out and sat next to me, being careful not to shake the couch too much. “Here.” He handed me two pills and a bottle of water. “Take these every four hours, as needed.” He mimicked a doctor’s voice. He sat the pill bottle next to me and took my hand.
“Thanks,” I said quietly.
“You really scared me—us.”
I nodded, remembering my dark place when I was at the hospital. Everything seemed like a blur.
“Em.” Seth took my chin carefully in his hands so I’d look at him. “We really need to talk about this later, okay?” I closed my eyes, remembering that awful man’s warning. I shivered.
Seth sighed as if he knew it was a lost cause. “I’ll call you later. Get some rest, okay?” He gently kissed my forehead. I could tell he was struggling with leaving me.
***
Lasko
I pressed print and pictures started to push out of the printer. My fingers tapped the table, waiting patiently. My other hand toyed with the piece of fabric from her cover-up. I gathered the pictures and pinned them into the drywall one by one. Then I stepped back, admiring my work.
There were hundreds of photos of Emily. I moved to the last one, running my finger over her face. She was at the beach with Erin, laughing. I frowned at one and ripped it off the wall. Jacob was off in the right-hand corner. I pulled out long scissors and angrily cut him out. Slipping my hand into my pocket, I pulled out the Zippo lighter and lit the piece of photo, letting it drop on the damp cement floor. Much better, I thought as I shifted my erection and leaned in, kissing her picture.
A cold, wet nose slid under my hand. My fingers dug into the fur and rubbed methodically. “Soon, we’ll bring her home, Adler.” The dog walked over to a rusty faucet sticking out over an old metal tub that was tucked into a corner. It was leaking water. He hopped up, helping himself to a drink before returning to his master’s feet.
***
Emily
I shifted to the side of the couch, making more room for Erin to sit by me. We watched TV for a while. She made me lunch, but I didn’t touch it. My mind felt like someone was changing the channels back and forth on the TV. One moment I’d be there with her, and then the next I’d be at the gas station. I kept flinching at the sight of his hand coming at me.
Erin picked up my pills and handed me two more. “It’s time.”
“Thanks,” I said, reaching for them, wanting to block out the memories for a bit. After about fifteen minutes I started to feel relaxed and sleepy.
Erin was cleaning up when she came across my purse. She picked it up when something caught her eye, and she pulled out the gas receipt. Her eyes quickly scanned the small, innocent piece of the puzzle. She looked at me, and then it clicked for her. My stomach sank. Oh no. “Em, did you get attacked at this gas station?”
I sat up. I struggled to stand, but I got a head rush, followed by sharp pains across my stomach. I held out my hand. “G-give me that,” I demanded as I tried to open my drooping eyelids.
Erin handed it to me and then sat down. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice sounded horrified.
Tears rolled down my face. The stupid pills were getting to me. The last thing I remembered was her frightened face.
I heard a buzzing noise, then Erin’s voice. “I think she’s starting to wake up now, but she hasn’t eaten a thing. Okay, see you in a few minutes.” It took me a few tries to wake up before the groggy feeling passed. “Hey, Em,” Erin said in a soft voice, “can I get you anything?”
I shook my head. “How long was I out?” I asked, feeling as if my mouth had been stuffed with cotton.
She checked her phone. “Four hours. Seth must have called twenty times checking in on you.”
I shifted to sit upright as the guys walked in. “Hey,” I said.
Garrett came over. “How are you feeling?”
I smiled. “Been better.”
Seth came over and sat in front of me. “Hey, baby, how are you?” He checked out my face carefully. “Get any sleep?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“Good.” He smiled. “I’m going to go change.”
I felt my muscles relax, just knowing they were home.
About an hour later, there was a knock at the door. I scrambled to my feet and watched Seth open the door and let two officers in. I looked at Seth, feeling my anger rise. Garrett put his hand on mine. “Don’t be mad, but we had to report this last night. If we hadn’t, the hospital would have.”
Seth stood behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Emily, this is Officer Campbell and his partner, Officer Riggs.” Numbly, I shook their hands and then sat back down carefully.
Riggs sat in front of me and opened his notebook, “Okay, Ms. McPhee, I have a few questions for you.” He started right in. “So, you were attacked last night at 7:34 p.m. at the am/pm off the 5 Freeway?”
I stood up, wrapping my hand around my stomach. “How do you know that?” I looked at Erin.
She put her hands to her flushed face. “I’m so sorry, Emily, but I had to tell them.”
I turned to Seth, my eyes filling with tears. I couldn’t believe this. They had no idea what they were doing!
“Can we go on?” Riggs’s voice was unemotional. I sat. “Any reason why you didn’t want to report this to the police?”
I looked down, not saying anything.
Riggs scribbled something on his pad. He seemed a bit irritated. “We’re going to get the surveillance tape tomorrow. Did he say anything to you?” He sighed when I didn’t answer. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to ID him.”
I just shook my head, praying I was still asleep, praying this whole thing was the result of a nasty nightmare caused by too much drinking. I’d welcome a hangover right about now.
Seth sat down next to me. “Emily, please, I know you’re scared, but...”
I looked up at him, tears invading my eyes again. “I am scared, I’m terrified. You know what he said, what would happen if I told!” Not to mention what the freak might do to Seth or to Garrett. That scared me even more than any threat to myself.
Officer Riggs closed his notepad. “Ms. McPhee, how are we supposed to help you if you won’t tell us anything?”
I turned and looked
at him. “I never asked for any help.” I rose and walked to the front door.
“Emily,” Officer Campbell said. His voice was a little nicer. “We could find this guy if you just told us something. What was he wearing? Did he have an accent? Any little bit helps.”
“Sorry for wasting your time.” I pushed open the door and went out to the porch swing. Inside, I heard Seth sigh heavily. “Thanks for coming, guys, but maybe it’s too soon,” he said. I heard footsteps coming my way.
Erin came out and sat next me. We sat in silence for a few moments as the two officers said their goodbyes and drove out of my driveway. “I’m sorry, Emily, but you’re my best friend, and I thought I was helping.”
I put my hand on hers. “I know,” I whispered.
***
A few days went by, and the guys gave me some space. I overheard Garrett one night on the phone with a detective saying that they had brought in Jacob and some of his friends for questioning but, like I told them, he wasn’t the guy. Plenty of people alibied him, and he had seen nothing abnormal before or after we left the beach.
There didn’t seem to be any repercussions when the guys filed the police report. Perhaps this whole thing had been just a random attack. But of course I knew that wasn’t true. The creep had known my name. Worse, he had known about the guys.
I tried to push away that night and move forward, but truth be told, I was still scared.
I was to start classes the next morning. Erin and I were going to meet in the campus Starbucks at 9:00 a.m.
Seth came into my room, sat on a chair, and watched me decide what I was going to wear. I pulled out a pair of skinny jeans and a deep red silk button-up shirt with a pair of black heels. I hung them on the edge of my closet. Then I went to my dresser and took out a long black tank top. I slipped off my shirt and threw it in the hamper. Pulling the tank on over my bra, I could feel Seth’s eyes on me. My ribs still had a yellowish color. “They don’t hurt anymore,” I assured him, answering his unasked question.